An electric vehicle (EV) may require charging at charging stations to provide power for operation. During charging, energy storage systems (such as batteries) in the EV store power. This stored power enables the EV to operate until the next charging. In some applications, (e.g., electric transit buses) charging stations may be provided along a route, and an EV may dock with and charge its batteries periodically during its normal operation.
Traditionally, the driver of the EV must visually align the bus with the charging station (e.g., using a line painted on the ground) so that the EV is suitably positioned to engage with the charging station. During charging, electrodes on the EV electrically connect with electrodes of the charging station to transfer power to the batteries of the EV. In some operating conditions, dust, snow, and ice particles (debris) on the ground may make visual alignment difficult. For example, the debris may detrimentally affect the ability of the driver to visually align the EV to the charging station and thus hinder charging.
Embodiments of the current disclosure may alleviate the problems discussed above and/or other problems in the art. The scope of the current disclosure, however, is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability to solve any specific problem.